The National Hockey League was at its brutal best on Wednesday night, but fans are becoming increasingly divided about physical elements of the game.
Minnesota Wild kept up their recent winning run as they hammered Detroit Red Wings 4-1, but one opposition player in particular felt the full force at Xcel Energy Center. The game had barely got going when Red Wings defenseman Filip Hronek was sent crashing to the ice after a hit from Wild star Ryan Reaves.
Hronek didn't anticipate Reaves coming as he cleared his zone, and the savage hit ended up being his last action of the night as he left the ice. Reaves was not penalised for the incident due to the nature of ice hockey, but it's left fans divided on Twitter as it could have has serious repercussions for Hronek.
When you step onto the ice, you know what you're signing up for and that's the way the NHL has been for as long as most fans can remember. There have been rule changes over the years, but the physical nature and tradition of the league has remained intact.
Reaves displayed that on Wednesday night, and Hronek was left bloodied on the ice until he was eventually helped to the locker room minutes later. Hronek was unaware of Reaves until moments before he was hit, which didn't allow him time to brace himself.
Hits occur, but while some fans roared when seeing Reaves crush his opponent, others were left furious as it appeared his head was targeted, and the first point of contact. "Dirty hit to the head but hey no call," one fan said as Reaves got away with no decision.
Another agreed, as they said: "As clean as they come. Literally could not have done anything better. Going to punish the guy because he’s taller?
"Don’t skate with your head down, Wings player needs to be aware and know how to prepare himself," another said. But it wasn't the opinion of every fan, as the debate became rather heated online. "Defenceless player. I’m all for contact - good, clean, hard contact - but, Reaves KNOWS this player is defenceless and delivers anyways," one fan argued.
"Cowardly…I don’t care how tough you are…craven. His only intention was to hurt. No one is impressed," one upset fan added. One fan even said Reaves should be suspended, as they said: "Clear headshot should be minimum 5 games."
Reaves wasn't too concerned after the game, and he even claimed that Hronek should think twice about skating towards him. "He just kind of turned his head and held onto the puck, so I’m not sure exactly what happened," Reaves said.
"I hope he’s OK, but you’ve got to know when I’m on the ice, definitely don’t skate at me like that." Reaves is known as a hard hitter, and he's even gained more respect from his team-mates from Wednesday's incident, according to Wild star Mason Shaw.
"I think that hit was the hardest hit I've ever seen — and been a part of — on the ice," Shaw said. "Everyone in the room respects him."
